Covering material folding and applying machine



April 2, 1.940. 2,195,959

COVERING MATERIAL FOLDING m APPLYING momma:

W. T. MAGUIRE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 195'?- I ig: K 3 I -l COVERING MATERIAL FOLDING AND APPLYING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 zlnucnkot I Mill/7M Z'MHGU/RE.

SHMMMPS April 1940- w. T. MAGUIRE COVERING MATERIAL FOLDING AND APPLYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 23, 1937 Patented Apr. 2, 1940 ,UNITED. STATES- TENT OFFICE COVERING MATERIAL FOLDING AND APPLYING MACHINE William T. Maguire, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as-

signor to William Exl a corporation ine, Inc, Cleveland, Ohio,

Application March 23, 1937, Serial No. 132,641

l 3 claims. (01. 154-41) This invention has to doxwith the artof bookbinding and comprises a special machine designed for the purpose of producing covers for passbooks, pocket check cases, and similar kinds of work for which the cover comprises a stiffenfrom paper, cloth, imitation leather, leather, or

similar material customarily used today for such purpose. I

The invention of the machine hereinafter set forth in detail deals primarily with the employment of mechanical instrumentalities for folding the edge portions of the covering material'cf paper, imitation leather, etc. around and over the edges of the filler board or stiffening board that provides the body of the cover along with the said covering material. Heretofore in the general practice of the art to which the invention relates, after the covering material has been adhesively applied to the filler board or stiffening body of the cover with the'edgesof covering material protruding, handjoperation is resorted to in order to fold said protruding portions of the covering material against the edges of the filler board and around to the opposite side of the board to thaton which the body of the covering is secured. On account of the hand practice re- 'ferred to, the production of' passbooks, pocket check cases, and similar covers is greatly slowed down andrendered relatively expensive.

By the present invention the work above described asrequired to be performed by hand is performed entirely by'mechanical instrumentalities. With this in view said machine comprises primarily suitable feeding mechanism by which the filler board blanks with the covering material adhesively-applied flat thereon, are carried vto opposing folders. The folders comprise folding recesses or grooves capable of receiving opposite edges of each filler board blank, with the edge portions of the covering material extending therefrom, the folders causing: the protruding,

edges of the covering material to be turned, folded, and pressed around the edge of the filler boardblank, and on to its surface, as the feedmentalitiesfor firmly'pressing the extendededges of the covering material at opposite edges of the blank againstthe inner side of the blank, as distinguished from the outer side over which-the covering material entirely'extends.

The machine of the invention embodies feeding mechanism and folding'instrumentalities, such as described, for operating upon two edges of the coveringmaterial and filler'blank to which it is applied to perform the functions stated, and a corresponding set of feeding mechanism and'foldin such a manner that inthe second set of feeding mechanism and folding instrumentalities, op-

erating at a right angle to those first mentioned, the other two edges of the blank and the covering material extending at such edges will betreated as in the first, operation, namely, to cause the folding of the last two edges of the covering material around and over and pressed closely to the adjacent two edges of the filler blank and the surface of the latter.

With the foregoing'general description of the novel means of the present machine set forth, the invention further comprises certain details of construction that will be more fully presented in the following description, in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which-- v Figure ,1 and Figure lAconstitute a combination view of a machine embodying the invention, the-view Figure 1A in a complete machine constituting an extension at its approximateline A A of the portion of the machine illustrated in Figure 1, from the approximate line A-A of the latter. 1

. Figure 2 is a side view with certain parts broken away to bring out moreclearly the arrangement of the endless feeding devices or conveyors by which the filler blanks, with the, covering material preliminarily applied to one side of each thereof, are fed forward to the primary folding mechanism, and, after being operated on thereby,

,carried to the secondary feeding devices or conveyorwhich effects travel of the blanks to the '45 secondary folding mechanism which completes thefolding operation'for the edges of the covering material.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view looking to ward oneof the folders at the inner side thereof and showing'the: arrangement of the edge presser plate and adjacentpresser rollers. v

Figure 4 is aoview looking down upon one of the folders in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Figure 3. I

Figure 5 is an end view of one of the folders looking in the direction 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail view of one of the presser rollers.

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view taken about on the line I! of Figure 1.

Figures 8 to 13 inclusive are fragmentary sectional views of one of the folder members showing the manner of tapering or reduction in the size and variation in the shape of the folding groove or recess thereof, which reduction takes place progressively toward the end of the folder remote from that at which the filler blank and covering material applied thereto are directly fed.

Figure 14 is a side view of cooperating gears such as used for causing the synchronous operation of the drive shafts for each pair of upper and lower feeding devices or conveyors.

Figure 15 is a plan view of one of the filler blanks as when the covering material therefor has been folded at the first two edges operated on by the primary folding mechanism of the machine.

Figure 16 is a view similar to Figure 15, showing the filler blank after the covering material has been folded at all four edges to complete the application of said covering material to the blank.

Referring first to Figure l of the drawings, the machine of the invention may be said to comprise a frame including the side frame members A which carry either directly or indirectly the various operating parts of the machine. Upon the main frame members A are supported the upper conveyor I and the lower conveyor 2 of a pair of traveling conveyors of the endless type. Each conveyor is preferably made up of a series of blocks of rubber or resilient material, 3, carried by the links of the sprocket chains of said conveyors, which sprocket chains operate around sprockets 4 at one end of the conveyors and sprockets 5 at the other end of the conveyors I and 2.

The filler blanks with the covering material applied thereto, may be fed between the conveyors l and 2, as seen in Figure 2, from a feed board 5, by hand, or they could be supplied to the conveyors I and 2 byan endless belt or other mechanical means of a similar nature. The said filler blanks and the covering material units are designated B in the drawings, and as they pass off the feed board 6 they are caught between the members 3 of the conveyors i and 2 and carried along to a pair of folders I, which pair is arranged between the sides of the frame comprised of the side frame members A. The purpose of the folders I is to receive opposite edge portions of each filler blank and covering material unit B and fold the extending edge portions of the covering material C of such .blank against the edge of and over upon the :side of the blank opposite that to which the said covering material has been previously applied.

It will be understood from the foregoing that each unit BC when fed to the conveyors I and 2 is comprised of the filler blank or stiffening board body and the covering material adhesively secured to and extending over one whole side of the blank, the edges of the covering material protruding a short distance to supply sufficient material to fold over the edges of the filler board.

ally raise the edges of the covering material protruding beyond the two adjacent edges of the filler board and cause these protruding portions to curve and be folded around said edges of the filler board.

It is also the function of the folder members I to initially cause a fairly close engagement of the said two protruding edges of the covering material against the adjacent two edges of the filler board and the edge portions of the filler board at the upper surface thereof. The function of the folder 1 is performed by reason of the provision on the inner side of each folder of a peculiarly shaped folding groove or recess 8, the same being relatively large at the receiving end and tapering gradually to a much reduced size at its delivery end, namely, a size which approximates he thickness of the filler board and the thickness of the covering material which is applied thereto by means of the folder. The folding groove or recess 8 is seen best in Figures 3, 4, and 5 as being somewhat wider horizontally at its receiving end, as shown at 8a, and somewhat deeper vertically at the same end, than at the delivery end, and said groove is so shaped that it is'approximately rectangular at the point of the cross section shown in Figure 8.

As the groove 8 progresses toward its delivery end it partakes of the rounded form, as shown in Figure 9, and reduced depth and width, the shape of the groove progressively becoming smaller in this manner to its delivery size as shown in Figure 3, as illustrated by Figures 10, 11, and 12. And as the groove becomes reduced in cross sectional area and of more shallow rounded form, its walls act effectively to impart to the free protruding edge portions of the covering material C a curvature and folding operation which finally folds the protruding edges aforesaid against the edge of the blank filler board B and over onto the top portion of the filler board as illustrated by Figure 13.

By reason of the somewhat increased horizontal width of the grooves 8a of the pair of folders I at the receiving end of said grooves, as the blank units BC are moved into and onward in the grooves from the receiving ends thereof, said blanks are centered with certain nicety of action between the two folders I, even though the blanks are engaged and being moved onward by the resilient blocks 3 of the conveyors I and 2.

For pressing the folded protruding edges of the covering material against the edges of the filler board B as the units BC are about to be delivered from the folders I, each folder is equipped with a presser shoe or plate I0, spring pressed by the springs II, see Figure 4, to slightly enter the outermost portion of each groove 8 and thus encounter with pressure the folded edges of the covering material C and the adjacent edges of the filler board or blank B.

Additional and adjacent to the presser plates 2 that enter the grooves 8 in the manner described, there are located presser wheels or rollers I2 arranged to turn about horizontal axes, one pair for each folder I. The adjacent peripheries of each pair of rollers I2 are in contact until such time as by the progressive movement of the conveyors I and 2 the cover unit B-C is caused to pass between the rollers I2 of each pair, whereupon the upper rollers, spring pressed downwardly against the lower rollers, press firmly downward to effectively secure adhesively to the upper side of the filler board blank B the two folded-over edges of the covering material. Suitable spring means I 3 for each upper .roller l 2 maintains the said roller spring pressed downwardly but yieldable for cooperation .with the lower adjacent roller I2.

Each folder 1 is preferably mounted upon a supporting bracket [4 of somewhat angular form, the lower off-standing arm 55 of which has an opening It for a fastening ll that passes through a slot in a suitable crossbar l8 on the frame member A, the brackets 14 being located at one end of the opposite folders I. The brackets I l are duplicated at the corresponding other opposite ends of the folder I, and the fastenings ll, passing through the crossbars l8, afford adjustability of the folders 1 toward and from each other and fixing of adjustments thereof through the means of said brackets 14. Under the above conditions, therefore, the folders I, with the presser plates or shoes In and the rollers l2, may be adjusted relatively in opposite directions to accommodate for folding operations upon different sizes of cover units which com prise the filler board B and covering material C.

After the cover units are delivered from what will be termed the primary folders I, by the conveyors I and 2, and any suitabletype of delivery device 19 the form of which is inconsequential tothe invention, said cover units will be received upon a secondary feed board or frame 20 with which is associated the feed devices 2! that operate at right angles to the delivery movement of the conveyors l and 2 and movement of the delivery member I9.

The feed devices 2! move the cover units BC, delivered thereto, to another pair of upper and lower conveyors 22 and 23, similar to the conveyors l and 2 previously described but arranged at right angles to the latter. The cover unit, as seen in Figure 1, located above the secondary frame of the machine comprising the side frame members A, is caused to be conveyed now by the conveyors 22 and 23 in a direction at right angles to its previous movement, whereby to permit it to be fed to a pair of secondary folders 24 of a construction identical with that of the folders I. The folders 24, conveyors 22 and 23, and certain associated parts, are substantially duplicates of the constructions of the parts 1, A, I and 2, and mounting means therefor, as previously set forth, and constitute a secondary or auxiliary set of feeding mechanism and folding devices which operate upon the covering material at the twoedges of the cover unit BC which covering material edges were not treated or operated upon as the cover unit progressed through the machine to its point of delivery by the delivery member l9 onto the receiving board or frame 223. The action of the conveyor devices 22 and Z3 and folding devices 24 may be simply stated to be, a repetition of the action of the corresponding devices previously described, but working upon the covering material at the two edges of the unit BC where said covering material was .previously left protruding from the filler board or blank after passing through the primary feeding and folding mechanism in the manner described.

As stated, the delivery member l9 may be of any suitable type within the purview of the invention, and is driven preferably by suitable eccentric operated linkage l9a and I922 actuated from a sprocket shaft 26 for the sprocket of one of the conveyors of the primary conveying mechanism. In like manner, but not fully illustrated, the feed devices 2| may be operated from-any suitable drivingor driven shaft of the general machine.

For driving the conveyors l and 2, motion'is transmitted from the driving shaft 26, see Figure 1, which may constitute one of the sprocket shafts for one of the conveyors l or 2, and the shaft 25 carries a gear 2'1, fixed thereto, meshing with a gear 28 fixed to the other sprocket shaft 25 so as'to' supply the necessary drive from the shaft 25 to drive the shaft 25 and the sprocket 5 at the inner end of the conveyor 2.

The drive shaft 26, which is also a sprocket shaft carrying the inner sprocket 5 of the conveyor I, by means of bevel pinions '29 and'30, see Figure 1A, is connected to drive the upper sprocket shaft 3| for the upper conveyor 22, and this shaft 3| is connected by a gear 32 with the lower adjacent sprocket shaft of the lower conveyor, the gearing being like the parts 21 and 28 but not completely shown.

As stated before, the particular method of driving the operating parts of the machine is not material to the invention, and various types of ordinary transmission gearing may be utilized for such purposes.

As seen in Figure 1, because the cover unit BC is of somewhat rectangular form, it is apparent that the folders 24 are spaced apart somewhat to a greater extent than the folders I in order to properly receive the edge portions of the cover member BC separated by the longer dimension of the said unit, and properly perform the folding and pressing operation respecting the covering material at said latter edge portions.

The folder grooves or recesses 8 act not only to curve or bend the edges of the covering material C as stated, but they press the said portions of the material closely against the filler board edges and upper surfaces. Adhesive that attaches the edges of covering material so acted upon by the folder grooves, and members I0 and I2, may be applied in any suitable way to the said material.

It is of course to be understood thatthe cover material may be applied to filler board blanks of one or more thicknesses and properly folded by means of the invention. irrespective of the single or manifold thicknesses employed. The action of the presser roller affords the foregoing advantageous action, as well as ensuring pressing down of the edges of the cover material upon itself at points where the blank may be cut away, as where the hinge or folding parts of a check book cover or case are located.

The principle of the invention may be used for folding edge portions of other material than covering material in the book-binding art, as will be understood, and such is within the purview of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a cover material applying machine of the class described, in combination, a folder, .and means for advancing cover units composed of filler board and protruding cover. material to said folder, the folder comprising a grooved portion the walls of which act to engage and fold an edge of cover material protruding beyond the edge of the filler board, around the filler board edge and onto the surface of the board, and a presser shoe entering said grooved portion to engage the covering material with a substantially distributed surface contact and firmly push it against the edge of the filler board.

2. In a cover material applying machine of the class described, in combination, a folder, and means for advancing cover units composed of filler board and protruding cover material to said folder, the folder comprising a grooved portion the walls of which act to engage and fold an edge of cover material protruding beyond the edge of the filler board, around the filler board edge and onto the surface of the board, a pressure shoe entering said grooved portion to slidingly engage the covering material and firmly push it against the edge of the filler board, and roller means operating on the edge of the cover material folded onto the surface of the filler board, for pressing the material against the surface after the action of the said grooved portion thereon.

3. In a cover material applying machine of the class described, in combination, a folder, and means for advancing cover units composed of filler board and protruding cover material to said folder, the folder comprising a grooved portion the walls of which act to engage and fold an edge of cover material protruding beyond the edge of the filler board, around the filler board edge and onto the surface of the board, and a spring pressed presser shoe entering said grooved portion to engage the covering material and firmly push it against the edge of the filler board While restrained by the folder against displacement in a direction normal to the pressure exerted by the presser shoe.

WILLIAM T. MAGUIRE. 

